Latches on infant incubator ports should posses the following features:
(1) positive closing so that the door cannot be pushed open from the inside with less than a prescribed force, typically fifteen pounds PA0 (2) "either/or" operation, so that the door is either obviously open or latched securely closed PA0 (3) easy to open with the elbow PA0 (4) quiet operation in latching and opening the door
Generally, infant incubators in use at the present time have the first three above features but lack the fourth.
The canopy of an infant incubator typically is fabricated from acrylic sheet or similar material which has a hard, reflective surface. Sound which is produced on the surface of the canopy is not attenuated but rather reflected within the canopy. Peak sound levels of 90 dbA and higher have been measured within certain incubators when a door is closed. Such noise can startle and cause discomfort to an infant in the incubator.